| CHEMINDEFER | Card game that's a variation of baccarat (6,2,3) |
| POOL | Game that's a variation of polo |
| BAO | Steamed bun that's a variation of mantou |
| CASINOWAR | *Card game that's a gambling variant of a simpler card game |
| REDHOTPOKER | Card game that's smokin'? |
| FARO | Card game that's a homophone of an ancient Egyptian ruler |
| SPOOM | A variation of "foam" that, as a verb, means "scud or sail fast before the wind"; or, as a noun, a frothy sorbet (5) |
| POKER | Card game that's a hint to today's theme |
| DISCREPANCY | A variation as to facts (11) |
| BETHLEM | A variation of the name of England's first hospital for people with mental illnesses, part of the hospital's presentday name (7) |
| BLUEBEARD | The Grimms' "The Fitcher's Bird" is a variation of this tale, following a murderous husband (9) |
| GORDIE | ___ Howe ice hockey Hall of Famer who has a variation of the hat trick named after him |
| PRIMP | A variation of a word for "prudish" that is used to mean "titivate" (5) |
| SASS | A variation of a word for sauce that is used to mean backchat, cheek, impudence or insolent rejoinder (4) |
| OBOE | The heckelphone is a variation of it |
| CORBEAU | Blackish green cube, or a variation of it (7) |
| AXIOM | O, mix a variation of the 3rd kind (5) |
| PLUM | - duff; a variation of traditional Christmas/figgy pudding (4) |
| IDO | I cheat with a variation of Esperanto (3) |
| STUD | An animal kept for breeding - or a variation of poker? (4) |
